Hi all. I’ve seen several posts here where people talked about having bought and/or sold flutes on eBay. I was just wondering how much of a crapshoot that is? You can’t really tell how well the instrument plays, and you certainly can’t tell whether you like playing it, until you’ve already bought it. Has anyone had problems with this in the past? Has anyone had really good experiences.
The reason I ask is that I’m fairly new to this whole flute thing, and all I have is a Doug Tipple PVC flute in D. It’s fine and all, and it was good for figuring out how to play a little bit and deciding that I want to keep playing, but I’d like to move up from there. There are always wooden flutes on eBay for a lot cheaper than you can find them elsewhere, but I’m just a little worried about the gamble.
I have bought (and sold) many instruments on eBay. Lots of whistles and lots of fiddles, a few cellos, guitars etc.
I think that it’s fairly safe if you follow some rules:
Only buy instruments from known makers.
ie..A Hammy flute is a Hammy flute. Guys like that don’t make junk.
Make sure the instrument is described as being in the condition you need it to be in. Ask the seller very specific questions about the condition of the flute, how it has been cared for, and why he is selling.
Don’t deal with people with negative feedback or “shades”…ever.
Make sure the shipment is insured.
By the way, buying on the message board from people that post a lot is the safest.
I’ve found that a message like: I’m looking for a used such and such will usually get you what your after (this is more true of whistles than flutes).
I recently put up a posting like that and was offered a nice Doyle and a Burns. It’s kind of like fishing except without the mosquito bites.
Hey Steven I’ve sent you a private message. I’m not sure if you know about that feature or not. You can access your private messages in the options at the upper right.
I have to say that my beloved Haynes flute was an e-bay purchase ~ talk about Blind Faith!!! So was the Drelinger headjoint I have on it. I can honestly say that these two purchases had me sweating, but I will never be convinced that I could have done better. Words can’t possibly express how much I love that flute!!! Sure, I could have been royally ripped off… but I wasn’t.
It’s equally true that I have been lucky with purchases made off this and the Whistle Forum. For examply, I KNEW I couldn’t go wrong with the awesome Copley flute I bought, based on the seller ~ I also bought an Overton Low D with the same great results.
It’s pretty risky, buying things that costly over the internet sight-unseen. I think a lot of people wouldn’t do it. At least with e-bay, I would probably suggest e-mailing lots of questions to the seller to get a feel for what sort of person they are, especially if you are planning to make a major purchase. For myself, I would have no problem with buying anything from someone who is a regular on this forum…
Good luck!
Mary
